Collapsible container



Nov. 14, 1950 v. H. HAssELQUlsT 2,529,872

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Sept. l, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 14, 1950v. H. HAssELQUlsT 2,529,872

coLLAPsIBLE CONTAINER Filed Sept. l, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q/Ff-Patented Nov. 14, 1950 2,529,872 CoLLAPsIBLE CONTAINER Victor H.Hasselqust, Akron, Ohio, assignors to The B. F. Goodrich Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 1, 1945,Serial No. 613,99

17 Claims.

rlhis invention relates to collapsible containers for liquid and isespecially useful in manufacture of portable wading pools, although theinvention is also useful in relation to portable baths, wash tubs, stockwatering tanks and tanks for similar purposes.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a collapsiblecontainer having a buoyant marginal wall for supporting it on or abovethe liquid in the container; to provide liquid-supported means for themarginal wall; to provide collapsibility; to provide a construction ofadequate strength and light weight readily transportable; and to providesimplicity of inflation of the marginal Wall.

These and other objects will appear `from the following description andthe accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a container constructed inaccordance with and embodying the invention in use as a wading pool,

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the container in lled condition,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a .portion thereof taken on line 3 3 ofFig. 2,

Fig. 4 is asimilar view showing a modification thereof,

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a, cross section of the marginal wall ofFig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the container of Figs. l to 3 'in itscollapsed condition, and

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of a modified `construction of a marginalwall of the container.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view `of another modication of the invention.

.Referring to the drawings, the numeral Iii designates the bottom memberof the container and the numeral l I the marginal Wall member thereofwhich is secured to the bottom member about the periphery of the bottomlmember as by a seam l2. f

In the formof the-'invention shown in Figs. 1 to above the surface ofthe liquid to retain the Same.

3 the wall member I-I is rof double vwalled construction and consists ofa :normally flat annular sheet ISand -a similar sheet iii -of flexiblematerial vwhich are adapted :to `lie flat upon the bottom when thecontainer Iis in the collapsed condition, Vas illustra-ted -in Fig. .6,the sheets It and I4 Ybeing united fto each y.other at vtheir outerperipheries and to the periphery of the bottom member by the seam I2 andbeing united V.to each other by the seam I5 at their inner peripheries,which :are nnattache'd at this position to the bottom member.

This construction provides -an inflatable chamber IB between the sheetsI3 land -M which thus constitute inner 4and outer wall portions incontinuation of each 'other at the upper margin, whereby the marginalwall member .may be in- -ated to increase its buoyancy in the presence.of liquid within the container wherebyfto .be held While valve meansmay be provided in .either the wall I3 or I4 for inflating the wallcavity I6, applicant finds that ination thereof `may be simply providedfor Yby an aperture Il through the sheet I4 near the seam I2, lso thatvby .sep-f arating the sheets `I3 and I4 slightly, before the containeris iilled with liquid, air .at atmospheric pressure is permitted toenter the vent aperture I 7 and become entrapped between the sheets I3and I4 by the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid in the container.

The container Vmay be constructed from any waterproof exible materialsuch as rubberized, oiled, varnished, or plastic-treated fabric, or maybe made entirely of flexible plastic material suc-h as vulcanized sheetrubber, plasticized polyvinyl chloride composition, or in some cases maybe constructed entirely of Vsubstantially air-tight woven fabric. Wherelthe Acontainer is lconstructed of fabric or fabric reinforced plastic,the .seams may be constructed by sewing or cementing or both, and Wherethe container iis made of plastic sheet material or fabric coated withsuch plastic sheet materials, Asuch .as rubber compositions andplasticized polyvinyl chloride, the seams may be constructed byvcementing the parts together. In

cases where the container is made of plastic-ized polyvinyl vchloridethe sheet material lmay .be united at the seams by applying heat andpressure t0 soften the material and weld it together is peripherallyseamed as at 23 to fan upper mar gina-l wall portion, which ispreferably normally fla-t, so that its buoyant portion extends over thebottom member, and comprises an Vouter sheet ,24 and -an inner sheet 25.by an inner peripheral .seam as at 28 to .provide an inflatable cavity26 about therimof themangin. A vent aperture y2.1 is provided throughthe inner layer 2.5 near the seam .23 .for the purpose of admitting airtothe space 2-6 for buoyantly supporting the marginal Wall member at .orabove the level of the liquid in the lcontainer 1as in the form.illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. 'The Yform of .the invention illustratedin Fig. 4 is :especially of advantage where a high marginal =wall memberis desired.

Referring to the modification -shown'n Fig. 7, this illustrates a rimportion of -a marginal member having talsingle marginal wall .3ofesheetgmaterial formed at .the rim-with ya looped :or :tubular Suchsheets are united margin 3| enclosing a space 32 in which a body 33 ofmaterial having less specific gravity than the water or other liquid tobe used in the container, such as a body of sponge rubber, cork, kapokor other buoyant material is enclosed. The marginal wall member issecured to a bottom member in similar manner to the bottom member I ofFigs. l to 3 and the material enclosed in the covered rim serves to buoyup the upper margin of the wall member without the necessity ofinflation, and keep it above the level of the liquid.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 8, a bottom member 35,preferably of fiat construction, is secured about its periphery, as by aseam 3E to a Wall member 31 of fiexible sheet material. The wall memberis preferably normally flat so as to lie upon the bottom member when thearticle is not in use, Vand is preferably in the form of a flat ring.Its inner periphery is secured by a seam 38 to a normally flat ring 39of flexible sheet material, extending under the wall 31 with its outerperiphery 40 unattached to the wall member so as to provide a space 4lin which air may be entrapped.

In all of the forms of the invention the marginal wall member isinclined inwardly and upwardly from the bottom member when the containeris filled so that the buoyant means at the upper margin of the wall,such as the hollow chamber I6 of Fig 3, the hollow chamber 26 of Fig. 4,the buoyant body 33 of Fig. '7, or the chamber 4I of Fig. 8, is normallywithin the vertically projected area of the bottom member when thecontainer is filled and floats at or above the level of the liquidwithin the container when in use.

As in each form of the invention the rim adjacent the opening in thewall member is flexible, any part of the rim may rise or fall with thelevel of the water as where by movement of the water laterally caused bymovement of the Waders the wall rises and falls locally with the surgeof the awater and prevents overflow. When surging ceases, the rim seeksa level position.

While the bottom member is ordinarily of ilexible sheet material, astiff bottom member may be employed. Where the bottom member is ofexible material, its margin curves upwardly to merge with the wallmem-ber and assumes a crosssectional curvature due to hydrostaticpressure when the container is filled.

In lling the container, which normally is in a attened condition withits marginal wall member lying vagainst its bottom member, air isadmitted through the vent Il or 21, or about the margin 40 of Fig. 8, tothe wall space i6, 26, or 4I, preliminary to filling the container. mayreadily be accomplished by grasping the outer and inner sheets I3, I4 ofthe container of Fig. 3,- the outer and inner sheets 24, 25 of thecontainer of Fig. 4, or the sheets 31, 39 of Fig- 8, with the hands andseparating them sufficiently to permit air to enter the vent atatmospheric pressure. The container may then be filled from a lhose orother source and as the liquid rises above the vent, the Vent is shutoff by the liquid and the air in the hollow wall is entrapped andslightly compressed by hydrostatic pressure. As the container is filled,the rim of the marginal wall rises with the liquid in the container.When the liquid is to be discharged from the container the marginal wallmay be depressed at one or more positions about its extent, causing theliquid to be discharged over the rim of the wall.

The invention is especially useful in providing a portable wading poolfor children, as illustrated in Fig. 1, as it may be placed on the lawnand lled from the garden hose. Where the container is made oftransparent or translucent flexible plastic material, such asplasticized polyvinyl chloride composition, the suns rays may penetratethe container and reach the lawn thereunder and thereby reduce damage tothe lawn, and the transparent appearance of the article adds greatly toits attractiveness as the lawn may be seen through the transparentmaterial. The portable nature of the container permits the container tobe moved readily from place to place so that no part of the lawn iscovered for a great length of time and in emptying the container theWater refreshes the part of the lawn which has been covered and is notwasted. The container is readily flattened and folded s0 as to take uplittle space when not in use.

As the wall member extends inwardly from the perip-hery of thebottommember both when the container is in flattened or collapsed position andwhen the container is lled, the rim of the container defined by theinner margin of the wall member is always above the projected area ofthelargest diameter of the container and the tension in the rim holds thebuoyant portion thereof at the rim within and above the base of thecontainer where the rim is buoyed up by the liquid 'under it. Tension ofthe walls induced by pressure of the liquid together with the buoyancyof the marginal wall fully supports the container when filled withoutthe necessity of stiifening supports.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the inventionas it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

l. A collapsible liquid container comprising a bottom member, a marginalwall member of flexible material secured thereto about its periphery Aand overlying the bottom member, said wall ing a double walled pocket ofsaid wall member This having in the unfilled conditionof the containercommunication with the atmosphere at a position below the upper marginsof the containerr and in the lled condition of the container beingsealed by the liquid within the container.

2. A collapsible liquid container comprising a bottom member, a marginalwall member of flexible material secured thereto about its periphery andoverlying the bottom member, said `wall member having a flexible margin,and means at the margin for buoyantly supporting the wall member abovethe bottom member in the presence of a liquid within the container, saidmeans comprising a buoyant body provided by a double walled portion ofsaid wall member sealed by pressure of the liquid against the same fortrapping air in said portion.

3. A collapsible liquid container comprising a substantially flat bottommember of flexible sheet material and a' marginal wall member offlexible Sheet material adapted normally to lie in superimposed relationupon said bottom member, said wall member being secured to said bottommember about its periphery and having a double walled portion, saiddouble-walled por- 5 wall above said bottom in the presence of liquidwithin the container.

4. A collapsible liquid container of translucent flexible plasticmaterial, said container comprislng a bottom member and a marginal wallmember seamed thereto about its periphery, said wall member beingadapted normally to lie flat upon said bottom member and having aflexible margin of double walled construction deiining an inflatablecavity at the rim of the container, and vent means normally submerged ina liquid when the container is filled for admitting air to said cavityto float the flexible margin of said wall member on said liquid.

5. A collapsible container comprising a round i bottom member, amarginal wall member of exible material extending thereabout, said wallmember comprising two layers of flexible sheet material united to eachother and to the peripheral margin of said bottom thereabout and havingtheir upper margins seamed to each other to provide a double wall havinga smaller upper perimeter than said bottom and defining an air spacebetween its layers, and means below the top of said wall providingcommunication between the interior of the container and said air spacebelow the level of fluid in the filled condition of the container.

6. A collapsible container comprising a round bottom member, a marginalwall member of ilexible normally flat material having a round centralopening smaller than said bottom, said wall member and said bottom beingunited to each other about their outer peripheries, and inflatable meansabout the inner margin of said wall IM member at said opening forfloating said margin of the wall member above the surface of liquidwithin the container, said inflatable means comprising an annularmarginal pocket of Which said wall member provides a wall thereof, saidpocket being open to the interior of the container below the filledlevel thereof, and said normally at Wall member being adapted to archupwardly and inwardly when the container is lled.

'7. A collapsible liquid container comprising a bottom having a wallrising therefrom, said wall comprising flexible sheet material inspacedapart inner and outer wall portions providing an air-pocketingchamber overlying said bottom and adapted to be buoyed upon the liquid,means providing free communication between the space in said chamber andthe liquid-receiving space at a position below the uppermost surface ofthe container, and said inner wall portion at a poy.

sition below said chamber being conformable laterally against said outerwall portion -by the pressure of the liquid.

8. A collapsible container as defined in claim '7 in which said innerwall portion is secured to said outer wall portion and to said bottom atthe outer margin of said bottom.

9. A container as defined in claim 7 in which said inner wall portionterminates short of said bottom.

10. A container as defined in claim 7 in which said inner wall portionhas a lower margin secured to said outer wall portion and terminatesshort of said bottom.

l1. A collapsible container for liquid comprising a su-bstantiallycircular bottom having a peripheral wall rising therefrom of flexiblesheet material in double thickness providing inner and outer wallportions with an air-pocketing chamber between them at the upper marginof the container, said upper margin being of substantially less diameterthan said bottom and said chamber overlying said bottom so as to floatupon the liquid and rise and fall with the level thereof, said innerwall portion having a passage through the same providing communicationbetween the'chamber space and the liquidreceiving space.

12. A collapsible container for liquid comprising an impervious Ibaseand a peripheral wall of flexible material secured thereto, said wallcomprising inner and outer Wall members of impervious material joined toeach other along their outer peripheries and to said base, and joinedtogether along their inner peripheries above said base to provide anair-pocketing chamber between them, the inner peripheries of said wallmembers being smaller than the enclosed area of said base so that thecenter of buoyancy of any cross-section of said air-pocketing chamber iswithin and above the Wall-enclosed area of said base for support of theperipheral wall on a liquid in the container by buoyancy of saidchamber.

13. A collapsible container for liquid comprising an impervious base andan annular collapsible wall of flexible impervious material directedupward from said base and then inward and downward upon itself providingan inner periphery and an air-pocketing chamber within and above thewall-enclosed area of said base so that outward collapse of said wallfrom contained liquid is resisted at said inner periphery while the walloutwardly thereof bulges from the liquid pressure and said air chambersupports the wall on the liquid by buoyancy of said chamber.

14. A collapsi-ble container as dened in claim 13 in which the wallportion that is disposed inward and downward extends to said base.

15. A collapsible container as defined in claim 13 in which the wallportion that is disposed inward and downward terminates substantiallyshort of said base.

16. A collapsible container for liquid comprising an impervious base anda peripheral collapsible wall of flexible impervious sheet materialjoined to said base and extending upwardly and inwardly overthe base inthe filled condition of the container, said wall comprising an outerportion extending upward and inward and then continuing downward in aninner portion along said outer portion providing between said portions abuoyancy chamber at the upper part of said wall.

17. A collapsible container for liquid as dened in claim 16, in whichthe bottom part of said inner wall portion is disposed to lie along andbe pressed into contact with the outer wall portion by the liquid to anextent governed by the amount of air in said chamber resisting suchcontact.

VICTOR H. HASSELQUIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 573,625 Ruflner Dec. 22, 18961,961,061 McCulloch May 29, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date22,301 Great Britain oct. '14, 1902

